Page 125 - The Apple Experience

Step Two: Probe Politely to Understand All the Customer’s Needs

Most commissioned salespeople are interested only in getting you to buy

something before you leave the store. It gets seriously annoying. I remember

buying a nice shirt from a men’s store, and when the salesman showed me a

$100 tie, I asked him for something less expensive. He replied, “Oh c’mon,

you can afford it. I have to feed my kids.” Working on commission will make

an employee do and say things that turn off instead of entice a customer.
Would Apple prefer that you buy something every time you enter the store?

Of course, it would. But Apple runs a noncommissioned sales floor, and

employees are not pressured to make a sale. In fact, I’ve been told several

times by Apple employees that they are not on commission. One Specialist

said, “I’m not on commission. I’m here to help you grow.” Since employees

are encouraged to make you feel special, it means they must ask a lot of

questions to find out what your needs are, enriching the overall experience.
Apple Retail employees “probe” in three ways: by asking open-ended

questions, encouraging customers to have a meaningful dialogue, and

contributing to the conversation. Here is how the first two steps of service

might play out for a customer interested in, but not committed to, buying an

iPad.

Employee: Hi, my name is Dave. Welcome to Apple. What

brings you in today? (If a customer is clearly a business
professional, a seasoned employee might open with a more

formal greeting such as, “How can I best serve you today?”)

Mom (Accompanied by daughter): We’re looking at iPads.

Employee: Awesome. Do you have any Apple products?

Mom: No, but my daughter has an iPod Touch.